News analysis Why Zelensky refuses to accede to Trump's ceasefire proposal

Potential new low in ties comes as Trump blames Kyiv for war started by Moscow

- Jonathan Eyal

LONDON - Prospects of a ceasefire in the Ukraine war are receding after US President Donald Trump lashed out at his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky, accusing him of rejecting an American ceasefire compromise that would have left about a fifth of Ukraine's territory under permanent Russian occupation.

Mr Trump's outburst came after the failure of diplomatic negotiations held in London on April 23.

Writing on Truth Social, his preferred social media platform, Mr Trump accused Mr Zelensky of engaging in "inflammatory statements" that allegedly "make it so difficult to settle this war".

The harsh public criticism signals a potential new low in US-Ukrainian relations, where Mr Trump has consistently argued that it is up to Ukraine and not Russia, which unleashed the war by invading Ukraine, to offer most of the concessions.

Washington's tilt towards Moscow is likely to be boosted as Mr Steven Witkoff, Mr Trump's special envoy, meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on April 25, the fourth such encounter between the two in as many weeks.

The abrupt downturn in US-Ukrainian relations has surprised diplomatic observers, since US negotiators recently claimed to have taken greater account of Ukraine's concerns.

At talks hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on April 17, Mr Witkoff met Ukrainian negotiators for the first time.

The Americans argued that their latest ceasefire proposals were carefully balanced to appease Russia and Ukraine.

According to the current US plan, which was not published but leaked to several media networks, the Americans promised that if Russian troops stop fighting, the US would recognise the legality of Russia's possession of Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula occupied by the Russians since 2014.